GratXray is a spin-off of the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) and the Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. Located in PARK INNOVAARE, the startup aims to revolutionize early detection of breast cancer.
According to the GratXray, today’s diagnosis tools such as mammography systems are often painful and only provide two-dimensional images, which often lead to inconclusive diagnoses. Its method, in contrast, removes the need for breast compression. Patients would merely lie on the examination table on their front while the breast is scanned.
Unlike conventional X-ray images, in which the radiation’s absorption is measured, GratXray’s grating interferometry-based breast computed tomography (GIBCT) system also acquires refraction- and scattering-based X-ray images. This results in 3D images of unprecedented contrasts.
“Our method will provide all women with access to painless, efficient and precise breast cancer imaging. With this system, we will overcome many of the limitations of current imaging systems,” said Martin Stauber, CEO of GratXray. He believes that the method will become the gold standard for the early detection of breast cancer in a few years’ time.
The first step is to develop a prototype of the device at PSI in the next two years, after which time it should be certified and launched commercially.
GratXray was founded in the summer of 2016.
“The team wanted to put the technology into a clinical device. The tremendous medical value added and the perfectly positioned market convinced us that we could build a successful startup,” added Stauber.
“PARK INNOVAARE is providing us with outstanding support in business-relevant areas as well as valuable contacts to potential investors and partners.”
